Christmas Thought

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
 ²The same was in the beginning with God.
 ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
 ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
 ⁵And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
The Gospel of John, Chapter 1, Verses 1 through 5

Today we commemorate the birth of a small child in a conquered land.  He was born in a strange place, far from home and family.  His parents were neither rich, nor privileged.  He grew up in a small village during tumultuous times, and rose to found a great movement in human history.  If you believe in his divinity, he was sent in order to be the sacrificial lamb for the entire human race by a God so forgiving that he gave of his own flesh and blood for that sacrifice, and his teachings are our guiding lights to find our way to his kingdom.  If you are only looking for wisdom or guidance, the writings of what he taught show a path of forgiveness, love, and understanding of the lowest of the low among us.

This is the Christmas I celebrate.  I thoroughly dislike the tinsel, the shopping, the schmaltzy music, and the saccharine kindness from people who normally would gladly step over my corpse in the street. But a few moments of quiet reading and reflection remind me that underneath all of the dreck that has been heaped on the occasion there is a bedrock of faith and learning that we should remember.

My Christmas is one that reminds me that I am responsible for my brother, and that even a small child born in squalor can rise up to be an example of light to the world.

I wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas.